Shoe and shank stiffener therefor



June 14, R. B BAR-[ELS 1,862,734

SHOE AND SHANK STIFF'ENER THEREFQH Filed Feb. l0, 1928 Patented June 14,1932 REINHARD B. BARTLS, OIE' MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS SHOE AND SHANKSTIFFEITER THEREFOR l Application filed February 10, 1928. Serial No.253,316.

Shank stiiieners for shoes have heretofore commonly lengthwise Sometimescomprised metallic strips molded to the contour of the shoe shank. sucha stiffener has been strength- 5 ened by forming a downwardly projectingcorrugation or rib lengthwise thereof. Not

only does this reinforce the stiiiener, but it produces a centralribvwhich', in a McKay or welt shoe,

projects toward the outersole and acts to center the outersolelaterally.

The present invention has for its chief object the production of astiiiener which may,

if desired,

have a downwardly extending stiii'ening and sole centering rib, butwhich is so formed as to produce a desirable contour to the upper faceof the innersole other than the longitudinal arch curvature and may, ifdesired, be so formed as to cause the innersole to present an archsupporting prominence or tol present any other-special configurationwhich may be desired.

"' For a more complete.- understanding oi this invention, reference maybe had to the accompanying drawingin which Figure 1 is a top plan of oneform of stiffener embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 ot Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plane of the same. Figure 4 is a side elevation ofthe same.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing a modilied construction.

Figure 6 is a detail section on line 6 6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective showing a further modication.

Figure 8 is a detail section on line 8 8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a perspective showing a still 1 to 4 and 11, the stiftenercomprises superposed members. The lower member 1 comprises a me tallicstrip having a longitudinally v In Figures 7 and 8 the lower member 15extending central downwardly projecting corrugation or rib 2, whichterminates somewhat short o its ends. At each side of the rib 2 aremarginal fiat portions 8 merging with flat end port-ions 4. rlfhe uppermember comprises a metallic strip 5 which may be fixed to the strip 4adjacent to opposite ends thereof by any suitable means, as for examplespot welding. The upperl strip or lamination 5 is shown as provided witha 60 corrugation 6 which forms an upwardly projecting bead or ribmerging at one end with a substantially flat portion 7 of the member andextending generally longitudinally of the stiiliener but at one side ofthe central axis, inclining away from this axis as it approaches the end8. This rib (3 serves to impart an upward curvature to the inncrsolepositioned thereabove, in a lateral direction so as to form a supportfor the inner side oit. the foot along the longitudinal arch. Theldownwardly projecting rib or bead Q is positioned in the usual mannerto serve as a stiiening and centering element for the outersole and itsuse obviates the necessity of using a separate shank filler. Thestiliener Aas thus constructed holds the outer sole outwardly convex andthe inner sole inwardly convex between their side margins, The two'members or laininations are molded together longitudinally to thedesired curvature ot the arch, as shown in Figure 4.

In Figures 5 and 6 a slightly modilied construction is shown in whichthe lower member-10ris provided with a central longitudinally extendingdownwardly projecting rib 11 while the Lipper member. 12 is providedwith a centrally positioned longitudinally extending upwardly presentedrib 13.

90 is unprovided with a stifiening and centering rib, but has fixedthereto eccentricallythereof the upper member 16 which as shown is fixedto the lower member at its end only as by spot.welding as at 17 and 18.The intermediate portions of the two members are spaced apart somewhatso that the upper member 16 produces a resilient projection mostlypositioned on one side of the longitudinal axis of the lower member andin poslloo tion to raise the liner side of the innersole along thelongitudinal arch.

In Figures 9 and l0 the lower member 2O is unprovided with a central ribwhile the upper member 2l has fixed at its forward end a pad Q2 whichacts to support the innersole upwardly convex at about the ball line ofthe foot.

Many other forms of stiffener might also be made in which the uppermember would be so constructed or so disposed relative to the lowermember as to produce the desired special contour of the upper face ofthe innersole, while retaining the generally concaved arch shape of theshank longitudinally of the shoe. As is well known to shoe manufacturersthere are wide diversities in practice between foot specialists in thelocation and shape of the special arch supporting protuberances orspecial configurations, where protuberances or humps are employed thesebeing sometimes positioned centrally with respect to the centrallongitudinal axis of the shoe and sometimes at one or the other side ofthis axis. Heretofore it has been the practice to form the specialshapes by the use of correspondingly shaped more vor less rigid plates,and then for a special shape7 as the well known cottage or ball shankfor the outside of the shoe, this has'been accomplished by the use of ashank stiffener separate from the arch supporting plate and having theproper configuration for the pur pose.

In commercial shoe manufacture it is practically impossible to positionthese two stiffeners inI uniform relation to each other when they arethus assembled separately with the result that individual shoes so madeand intended to be alike may greatly differ from each other. Inaccordance with the present invention these two contour controllingmembers are rigidly assembled and fixed together where they are madeprecisely in the desired relation and before being incorporated in theshoes. At this time this assembly can be readily accomplished and theyare then in condition to be inserted in the shoe as a unit. Theinner-sole foot supporting contour is thus accurately and uniformlyrelated to the outer sole contour in all shoes which are intended to beidentical. Inasmuch as the arch supporting plates differ greatly fromeach other in contour-the particular forms herein illustrated areintended to be merely illustrative of the inventionas defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

l. A shank stiffener for assembly in a shoe as a unit comprisingsuperposed members secured together in definite fixed relation, theupper of said members being formed to impart an arch supporting surfaceto the upper face of a sole member superposed thereon in addition to itslongitudinal curvature2 the lower of said members having a centrallongitudinally extending downwardly projecting rib.

2. A shank stiffener for assembly in a shoe as a unit comprising a pairof superposed members secured together in fixed relation, the upper ofsaid member having a longitudinal upwardly extending rib, and the lowerof said members having a central longitudinal downwardly extending rib.

3. A shoe having inner and outer soles7 and a shank stiffener betweensaid soles shaped to deflect said innersole to form a distinctive footsupporting contour for the upper face thereof additional to thelongitudinal shank curvature, said shank stifi'ener also presenting adownwardly extending longitudinal rib in position to define the centralaxis of the outer sole and to hold it downwardly convex laterally of theshoe.

4. A shank stiffener for positioning between an inner and an outer soleof a shoe and comprising a pair of superposed members secured togetherin predetermined relation, the upper of said members having an upwardlyprojecting hump to produce a corresponding hump on the upper face of theinner sole, and the lower of said members being formed with a definiteconfiguration and imparting a desired finish contour to the l outersole, said stiffener thus aiding to definitely locate said hump on theinnersole relative to the contour of the outer face of the outer solewhereby to facilitate constructing of shoes uniform with respect to Suchlocation.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

REINHARD B. BARTELS.

